I have glass bedded over 250 rifles, but only three pre-64's. The first two (shooters, not collectible) I full length bedded the barrel and action and turned them in to half iinch or better rifles. My most recent one is a standard weight 270 that has been "two grouping" since the day I received it. I shoot four or five shot groups when working up loads and it'll shoot two into one half inch group and the other two or three shots clustered into a half inch, two or three inches away. I then full length glass bedded the barrel and action but it still shot the same. This happens regardless of load work up...all groups are patterened similarly.

I used a good Leupold Vari X III and thinking it might be the scope, I replaced it with a Swarovski....still two grouping.

I am aware of the forend screw and how it can screw things up. I took it out and groups improved slightly....but not much really.

Does free floating tend work better on pre-64's? I might consider relieving the barrel channel to see what happens. I'm at a loss on this.

Any suggestions?

Someone posted some good threads on glass bedding pre 64 rifles in the Winchester collectors forum. That guy's rifles shoot like this:

I floated all of mine, 30-06, 338 and 300. They all shot better floated.

I took the hint from Bob. Said he never monkeyed around with them too much. If they wouldn't shoot they got floated and bedded. It's worked for me a few times now.

BSA put up a decent example too

Bedded tang, recoil lug, the flat behind the lug, and about a inch and a half f the barrel in front of the receiver .Everything else free floated.I don't take pictures of groups though

I generally float everything but have bedded the fore arm on some Model 70's just because I felt like it. I think they work better floated.
The two grouping is probably not a bedding issue. It seems more likely to be a scope mount issue. Often, when a rifle is doing this, the bases are not a good fit on the receiver. GD

I generally float mine, from the front of the recoil lug forward... However, some of them have shot well with a small amount of bedding under the chamber. Every rifle is NOT the same and may require a different treatment. You just have to experiment sometimes and find out what your particular rifle likes... Since saddle sore didn't like my group picture (typical cry baby), here's a picture of one of my bedding jobs...:-)


Does the paint affect how it shoots? You be the judge. Critique the group I posted earlier for all I give a fu ck...


Here's a std. wt. I pillar/glass bed. I also installed a dummy screw into the stock and freefloated the barrel. It shot lights out when done and still looked all original from the outside:


I gave EricM's 30-06 std. wt the same treatment and his rifle also shot lights out. In the end, that's what it's all about: How well the rifle shoots when you are done, whether or not you like looking at target pictures or not, that's just the simple truth of the matter....

Here's a glass bedding job on a McMillan hunters compact on a 1957 270 fwt:


Good luck with your glass bedding job Godogs57...

In my experience, most rifles "shoot better" with free floated barrels. By this I mean consistant groups. All of my rifles are so- except one I'm working on.

Had a 77 that would cloverleaf 3, then go to 5" with 5 shots. Bedded and free-floated it now shoots 1.25 all day long... I'll take it.

Currently fighting a 700 in .243 - It doesn't like free-float (2.5 moa)- but will go .75 if I get the forend tip pressure rght, according to folded paper at the forend tip. Got it bedded down to 1.25 MOA and working...

What I would do with a 70 is bed reciever area and 2 in of bbl, free float the rest. If that isn't "good enuf' , then experiment with various fore-end tip pressures., and bed to best. You can google proceure.

BSA, very nice work Sir.

Free floating is way over-rated, IMO.

Some guns shoot lights out that way, others don't.

I always start out by stress free bedding the action with the barrel fully floated from the lug forward & then shoot it. If it's good, then you're done & happy.

If it doesn't, then I will start working with shims & will eventually bed in a pressure pad under the barrel, if that works.

In a few cases, especially Mausers, adding some bedding for an inch or two in front of the lug sometimes makes a difference.

Nice work BSA..............

MM

I've also bedded the barrels on standard pre-64 M70's right up to (and including) the lug and floated the rest, with the lug screw snugged down. It's always worked out very well.